Printing-press inking device.



D. W UUSTER. PRINTING PRESS INKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1909. RENEWED sEr'r. a0, 1910.

Patented' Nov. 29, 1910.

a citizen of the United DWIGHT w. CUSTER, on NEW YORK,

AUToMATIc PRINTING PRESS ARIZONA TERRITORY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS TO COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF PRINTING-PRESS INKING DEVICE.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed September 22, 1909, Serial No. 518,958. Renewed September 30, 1910. Serial No. 584,783.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DWIGHT W. CUSTER, States of America, and residing at New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Press Inking Devices, of whichthe following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the art of printing, and the object thereof is to provide posit-ively controllable means for ink feeding and distribution in printing presses.

A further object is to provide means whereby an increased or decreased ink feed maybe accomplished at will in any desired position without interfering with the normal ink feed in other positions.

A further object is to provide means whereby the degree of ink feed may be readily adjusted at all points, simultaneously, throughout the length of the ink fountain, regardless of the differences of degree of the feed at diiferent points.

A further object is to provide means, with a normal equal or unequal ink feedthroughout the length of the ink fountain, for transferring ink to only a predetermined portion of the impression roller, whereby a saving of ink is effected andjthe amount of roller cleansing correspondingly reduced; and a still further object being to provide means for moving one of the ink distributing rollers longitudinally, and thereby moving contiguous rollers longitudinally but in less degree, whereby ink' is distributed correspondingly over'a complemental roller interposed between said first named roller and the impression roller, and thus conveyed to the impression roller in desired quantities to meet varying conditions.

My invention is fully described in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts are designated by the same reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation taken through an ink fountain, and distributing rollers, arranged according to my invention, one of the rollers not being sectioned; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view taken -on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4: is an 'end view of the ink fountain,

and showing a means for rotating the feeding roller.-

In the drawings forming a part of this application, I have shown one form of embodiment of my invention, comprising a support a, having an ink fountain a thereon provided with a cover a hinged at a and with a flexible ink blade a servingas the fountain bottom and adapted to coact with a roller a in the fountain in regulating the flow of ink.

Secured beneath the blade at are two transverse bars I) and b the former of which is provided with a plurality of cross grooves therein, and the latter of which has a longitudinal groove 6 therein serving as a guide for a plate 6 having a plurality of upwardly directed inclined teeth 6 in register with similar downwardly directed teeth 6 on a plate also guided by the groove 6 said plate 6 being longitudinally operable by means of a threaded rod 6 thereon provided with a nut Z)", in one direction, and by gravity or by said rod in the other direction, thereby raising 0r loweringthe plate 6 and which is provided with a plurality of cross grooves in line with those in the bar I), as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Slidably mounted in the cross grooves of the bar Z) and plate 6" are a plurality of wedges 0, provided each with a screw or equivalent 0 passing through the wall of the fountain, and whereby they may be moved inwardly or outwardly, individually,

to adjust the contiguous portion of the ink blade a with reference to the feeding roller a, said wedges supporting said blade throughout its length, and thus the flow of ink from the fountain is regulated, at corresponding points, independently of other points, this being very advantageous in the event of bold faced type being employed in connection with finer type which do not require so much ink, and, after the wedges have been individually adjusted, according to requirements, movement of the plate 6* adjusts all of the said wedges, collectively, and thus the blade if, to control the degree of ink passing from the fountain, whether the wedge adjustment be equal or unequal.

Longitudinally and rotatably mounted in the frame a is a roller d, provided with a plurality of ink distributing rollers 6Z2 bearing thereon, and with two rollers d interposed between said roller (Z and a roller d which is not movable longitudinally but the rollers d are free to move longitudinally over the roller ti due to the movement of the roller d and thus the ink on the roller (Z is spread longitudinally over the rollers (Z and d as Well as circumferentially. The roller (i carries; at each end thereof, a cam d which is adjustable thereon by means of a set screw (i said cam acting against an arm (Z at each side of the roller (1*, said arms being pivoted at d and carrying an oscillating roller (Z which is adapted to contact with the rollers a and d, alternately, and, in practice, I make the rollers d various interchangeable lengths whereby ink may be conveyed to the roller 01 for only a desired portion thereof, thus saving ink and lessening the amount of roller cleansing.

Secured to the roller d", or to the shaft thereof, is an arm 6, provided with a plurality of pivotal points for a pawl rod e acting upon a ratchet 6 connected with the roller a to rotate the same, said rotation being governed by the adjustment of the said rod with reference to the arm 6, and said rod is also provided with an adjustable guide pin a and with a spring e or equivalents.

In the form of embodiment shown, I prefer to move the roller (Z longitudinally by means of a spiral cam f engaged by a fixed pin f and I prefer, also, to secure the interchangeable sections of the roller (Z to the shaft thereof by means of screws f passing through flanges f may be provided to accomplish the desired results and, in practice, I also provide suitable chains of gears, or the like, to insure complemental rotation of the main rollers, said gears not being shown as they are common to all presses. v

From this description, it will be seen that I may accurately gage the amount of ink leaving the fountain for the entire length thereof, or for any portion thereof; I may, also, positively control the amount of inking surface upon the impression roller by means of the interchangeable rollers d", and I also cause the ink to be evenly spread over the ink conveying rollers, or for the desired portion thereof, and a positively controllable A 1. In a printlng press, an

but any suitable means .provided ink feed results, in-whole or in part of a de sired degree or of different degrees.

Many changes in and modifications of the details of construction shown may be made to accomplish the desired results and reserving all such changes to myself,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters .Patent, is

ink fountain provided with a flexible ink blade, a roller coacting therewith, a plurality of independently adjustable wedges bearing on said blade, a plate provided with inclined teeth supporting all of said wedges, and means for moving said plate to adjust all of said wedges simultaneously, toward or from said roller.

2. In a printing press, an ink fountain provided with a flexible ink blade, a roller coacting therewith, a plurality of independently adjustable wedges bearing on said blade, a plate provided with inclined teeth supporting said wedges and a supplemental plate, correspondingly toothed, for moving said first named plate, and thereby said wedges, toward or from said roller.

3. In a printing press, an ink fountain provided with a flexible ink blade, a roller coacting therewith, a plurality of independently adjustable wedges bearing on said plate, a bar for holding said wedges against side movement, a supplemental bar provided with a longitudinal groove, and means operable in said roove for moving allof said wedges simu taneously, away from or toward said ink blade. 7

4. In a'printing press, an ink fountain with a flexible ink blade, a roller coacting therewith, a plurality of independently adjustable wedges bearing on said blade, meansfor preventing side movement of said wedges, a plate provided with inclined teeth supporting'all of said wedges, and means for moving said plate .to adjust all of said; wedges toward or from said roller, simultaneously.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 17th day of September 1909.

DWIGHT W. CUSTER.

Witnesses:

C. R. ROBINSON, J. C. LARSEN. 

